The 'Right' Way To Do Things Differently

May 1, 2019

When you’re starting a business, it’s easy to feel confined by how you ‘should’ do things. You’ll have people coming at you with hard and fast rules for success from every angle. You ‘must’ study the market. You ‘should’ use these marketing methods. You ‘have’ to launch your product in an existing market. Of course, there are good reasons for these rules. They work, and you would often benefit from listening to advice like this.

Still, entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk didn’t get far by playing by the rule book. What gave them their edge was the fact that they weren’t afraid to do things differently.  And, of you did different things in a crowded market, it could work out for you.

Of course, that isn’t always the case. Often, entrepreneurs who fail to follow the basics fail altogether. Strange as it may sound, though, there are RIGHT ways to doing things differently. And, we’re going to talk you through some of them.

Know the market so you can challenge it

Whenever you’re experimenting with an established way of doing things, you have to have a firm grip on how you ‘should’ be operating. Writers can’t experiment with language if they don’t know the rules in the first place. And, you can’t experiment with new ways of business if you don’t know how things are typically done. Spend time watching how your competitors find success. Then, use that knowledge when you come to create your new way of working. This is your best chance at hitting the mark with your market, even when you go against the grain.

Let someone else test the waters for you

You may also want to let someone else test the waters for you. That way, you can see whether something works without taking risks. If you’re in the field of research, for instance, new ways of operating could be your best idea or your worst one, depending on how things work. To avoid that risk factor, invest in alternative equipment like the dna extraction kits from Chromatrap which eliminate traditional bead methods. This is groundbreaking stuff, but Chromatrap has tested whether it works so that you don’t have to. Similar instances apply in any company. Even a marketing agency which does things differently could see you soaring. All without the risk of you falling flat in untested waters.

Use what works in new ways

Last, use what works as a foundation for new approaches. Using popular methods in new ways could take you far. Something as simple as using a popular platform like Instagram to do something new like telling a narrative with pictures could be all it takes. There’s no risk because you already know Instagram works. Still, this different way of using it could see you soaring.

As you can see, doing things differently can work. All it takes is a little careful effort on your part to make sure that you’re breaking the rules in all the right ways.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

Learn podcasting
in your own time

Listen to the
free podcast

The free, thrice-weekly show that brings you podcast education, industry insights & straight-talking reactions to podcasting news. This short-form show typically runs for between 7 and 15 minutes and releases every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Usually a solo show, every now and then, the show features expert podcast industry guests and release bonus episodes as the podcast industry continues to grow and develop.